The 5 types of cocaine (and differences in addiction)

Cocaine is one of the best known drugs, and the most widely used hard drug in many countries.

According to the ranking of drug use in Spain, which uses data from the seizures of the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Department of Customs and Special Taxes, about 2.2% of Spaniards are familiar with this substance. The Valencian Community, the Canary Islands and Galicia are the regions with the most kilos of this drug seized.

The most common form of cocaine use is cocaine hydrochloride, which is known as coca powder, that is, the “coca stripes”. However, there are other forms of consumption that produce different effects and different types of cocaine and addictionWell, it is not the same to snort rays than to smoke crack.

Cocaine: a highly addictive drug

Cocaine is a very addictive drug and can be very dangerous. In the West, coca powder is the most widely consumed presentation format for this substance, although there are other ways of ingesting it. This makes the profile of the drug addict somewhat heterogeneous.

In Europe, cocaine users are often associated with someone with a medium-high socioeconomic status, as it is a substance that can be expensive. But this is not always the case, because there are other forms of addiction to this substance that are cheaper.

In other words, they are consumed by people belonging to more disadvantaged social groups. Crack, for example, can be devastating to the consumer, which can end up isolated in slums. The myth that it is possible for cocaine addicts to lead a normal life and live in upper-middle-class neighborhoods can be restricted only to those who consume kitchen hydrochloride.

• Related article: "Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects”

Consequences of cocaine use

As you can see, cocaine can be mistakenly considered the upper class drug, and it has even come to be called the caviar of drugs. In the form of powder, it can circulate on Wall Street and even on the fashion catwalks, where some models have come to light to claim that they are or have been addicted to the substance. But although cocaine may be surrounded by glamor, the reality is that this drug hits hard on the health of addictsas it has negative effects on the heart and brain.

In addition, when someone becomes addicted to the substance they have serious difficulties to quit, since they become a prisoner of this drug both mentally and physically.

Types of cocaine and addiction

Not all forms of cocaine use produce the same effects on the body and are not equally addictive. This substance is made in three ways: powder, paste (basuco) and base (crack).

But, What are the types of cocaine and what are the characteristics of these three types of addiction?

1. Cocaine powder or cocaine streaks

Coca can be consumed in the form of stripes, it is what is known as cocaine hydrochloride, although it is also called powder or snow. Cocaine stripes (or clecas) are highly addictive psychoactive substances, but less so than other types of cocaine. This powder, which is usually snorted, can have different shades. For example, the so-called "Yen" is purer (close to 98%) and whiter, flaky and shiny.

However, there are other types of powdered cocaine with less purity, in which its presentation is more dusty and with less brightness. This occurs because a series of chemical substances that can be highly toxic are added for its commercialization. The fewer substances it incorporates, the purer the coca is and it is considered of higher quality.

That is why you have to be extremely careful when someone buys coca on the street, because he doesn't really know what he is buying. The coca line carries, on many occasions, between 5% and 40% of this substance, according to the Diario de Galicia newspaper. Cocaine hydrochloride usually reaches Spain with 80% purity, however, here it is "cut" to obtain greater economic gain.

The cut occurs with different substances, some of them very dangerous. Among these substances it is possible to find: amphetamines, chalk, almax (powders for stomach pain), detergent, speed, talcum powder or painkillers.

• You can learn more about coca lines in our article: "Cocaine stripes: components, effects and dangers”

2. Chinese cigarette

Another way to consume coca is by smoking it. Although there are other ways to smoke it that do not have to be in its cocaine hydrochloride form, many users smoke it directly from the coca line. These individuals often moisten a cigarette so that they can then smear the coca line on the outside of it.

The effect is much less than that of the cocaine line, so it is usually combined with the snorted dose. That is, when a consumer sniffs it, they usually smoke the remaining part of the ray or stripes (if they consume it with other people). The cocaine hydrochloride cigarette is called "Chinese."

3. Injected cocaine hydrochloride

Cocaine hydrochloride can also be injected once it has been diluted with water. This is one of the most addictive forms of cocaine because the drug is transported directly into the blood thus increasing the intensity of its effect. It is the most dangerous way to consume it, with an immediate but short-lived effect. The consumer needs to inject more in a short time, and it is easier to go over the dose.

4. Basuco or coca paste

Basuco (also bazuco, paco or coca paste) is an intermediate product in the manufacture of cocaine hydrochloride. It is also known as cocaine sulfate because it contains approximately 50% of this compound.

Coca paste is the result of a process that includes highly toxic and poisonous products such as sulfuric acid, methanol or kerosene. As with injected coca, it is very addictive and causes a physical and psychological deterioration. It is usually mixed with tobacco or marijuana to be smoked, and it is cheaper because the cost of producing it is much lower as it is made with cocaine residues.

5. Crack or cocaine in base

Crack or cocaine in base is the result obtained from incorporating chemical elements such as ether, ammonia and bicarbonate of soda into the cocaine hydrochloride. It is known as the cocaine of the poor because it is up to 15 times cheaper than hydrochloride.

After being smoked, crack reaches the brain in a few seconds and its effects are stronger and more destructive than coca paste. It is also more addictive and the risk of death from its consumption is higher than other types of cocaine such as basuco. It is usually smoked in a pipe.

Pink cocaine: a drug consumed by the upper class

Currently, a psychoactive substance has become very fashionable among the upper class. It is what is known as pink cocaine, pink powder or 2CB, and it is a synthetic drug with psychedelic and hallucinogenic effects, which alter all the senses and change the perception of the world. Its consumption produces very harmful effects for the person who takes it.

• You can learn more about this drug in our article: "Pink powder (pink cocaine): the worst drug ever known”